Photocopy machines with liquid reservoir elevator



INVENTOR.

A. M. HYOSAKA 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 PHOTOCOPY MACHINES WITH LIQUID RESERVOIR ELEVATOR Tiled Sept. 12, 1966 Sept. 3, 1968 FIG. 1

Sept. 3, 1968 A. M. HYOSAKA 3,399,615

PHOTOCOPY MACHINES WITH LIQUID RESERVOIR ELEVATOR Y 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 12, 1966 INVENTOR. ALFRED M. HYOSAKA ATT' YS PHOTOCOPY MACHINES WITH LIQUID RESERVOIR ELEVATOR Filed Sept. 12, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 I N VEN TOR ALFRED M. HYOSAKA ATT'YS FIG. 5

Sept. 3, 19 8 Filed Sept. 12, 1966 A. M. HYOSAKA 3,399,615

PHOTOCOPY MACHINES WITH LIQUID RESERVOIR ELEVATOR 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 & I

\ m 9 k m g g am 5 LQ INVENT OR: g ALFRED NI. HYOSAKA United States Patent 3,399,615 PHOTOCOPY MACHINES WITH LIQUID RESERVOIR ELEVATOR Alfred M. Hyosaka, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Speed-0- Print Business Machines Corporation, Chicago, 111., a

corporation of Illinois Filed Sept. 12, 1966, Ser. No. 578,734 5 Claims. (Cl. 95-89) This invention relates to photocopy machines, and more particularly relates to photocopy machines employing a liquid bath used in reproducing an image on a copy sheet as the latter is conveyed through the machine. Examples of liquid baths used in reproducing an image on a copy sheet in photocopy machines comprise a liquid toner bath consisting of a suspension of carbon particles in kerosene or other suitable liquid and a liquid bath containing developer chemicals for diffusion transfer process. While the illustrated embodiment of this machine pertains to the former, it can also be used with the latter.

Briefly, the present invention relates to a photocopy machine which conveys an original sheet to be copied and a copy sheet upon which the image of the original sheet is reproduced through the machine. The machine has means for reproducing the image of the original sheet on the copy sheet, e.g., by an electrostatic process, by use of diffusion transfer negative and positive sheets and the like. In the instant invention the means for reproducing the image includes a receptacle or tray adapted to hold a liquid used in reproducing the image on the copy sheet. The machine further has electrically energized drive means, e.g., an electric motor, operatively associated with the means for conveying the original sheet and copy sheet through the machine with at least the copy sheet being conveyed through the liquid in said tray.

The liquid used for reproducing the image on the copy sheet is contained in a reservoir package or cartridge. The latter is connected by tube means, usually a flexible tube, connecting said package or cartridge and the bottom of the tray or receptacle. The package is supported, preferably contiguous to one side of the tray, by elevator means. The elevator means is used to raise and lower the package. In the lower position the package is enough below the bottom of the tray to permit the tray to empty by gravity flow of liquid from the tray through the tube means into the package. In the elevated position the package is enough elevated relative to the tray to cause gravity flow of liquid from the package through the tube means into the tray to a non-overflow level.

The aforesaid electrically energized drive means includes in its circuit a switch. The elevator means has means thereon for activating the switch to energize the drive means when the elevator means is elevated to raised position and for deactivating the switch to deenergize the drive means when the elevator means is lowered from the raised position.

In this combination, electrical drive of the main machine is turned on when the package is raised manually or by other suitable means, thereby assuring that the liquid will be present in the tray while the machine is in operation. On the other hand, by lowering the package to turn off the machine, the tray is emptied, and its contents are stored in the package or cartridge during periods of nonuse.

The latter aspect has several advantages. In instances where the liquid is one susceptible to oxidation, i.e., when exposed to the air while it is in the tray, the exposure is limited to only those periods when the machine is in operation. Where the liquid constitutes the suspension of solid particles, periodic flow of liquid between the package and the tray is of value in agitating the liquid to mitigate against settling of the suspended particles.

In a preferred form of the invention, the aforesaid elevator means comprises a platform and pivot arms pivotally connected near one of the respective ends thereof to the platform. At points spaced from said ends of said pivot arms, there is provided a pivot means serving as horizontal pivot axis for the pivot arms. The aforesaid switch has a movable switch-activating member which is engaged by a pivot arm, preferably a contact member on one of the pivot arms (or the platform or package thereon, if desired) when the pivot arms are pivoted upwardly to the raised position of the platform and the cartridge or package supported thereon. Such engagement of the contact member and the switch-activating member closes the switch and energizes the electric drive means. In addition to being in the circuit of the electric drive means, the switch can also be in the circuit of other electrically energized parts of the machine, e.g., an electrostatic section for imparting an electrostatic charge to the copy sheet, a light source in the machine for exposing the original sheet and/or the copy sheet to light, etc.

In a still more specific aspect of the invention, the pivot arm means comprises respective upper and lower, essentially parallel pivot arms on respective opposite sides of the platform. These respective pairs of pivot arms are arranged to provide respective parallelogram linkages which keep the platform in a substantially constant position relative to the horizontal plane during pivotal operation of the arms to raise the platform or lower it. The means for holding the platform in raised or elevated position comprises an over-center bias mean-s, e.g., a coil spring operatively connected to at least one of the pivot arms for resiliently biasing the parallelogram linkage and the platform supported thereby in raised position. The over-center bias means is connected at one end to the pivot arm and at the other end to a fixed point near the aforesaid horizontal pivot axis of the arm in a relative position so that the line of tension force exerted through the resilient bias means is above the horizontal pivot axis when the platform is in elevated position, and thereby provides enough force on the arm to hold the platform and the package supported thereon in the elevated position. When the platform is lowered by manual pressure or the like, the axis of the spring tension force swings downwardly to a line substantially through or below the horizontal pivot axis, thereby giving an over-center effect and negating the force of the bias means which urges the platform into elevated position.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view taken at one front corner of the machine;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view taken at the other front corner of the machine.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view on a vertical section plane of the paper-conveying portion of the machine and shows semi-diagrammatically the essential components of this portion of the machine.

FIGURE 4 is a block diagram of the electric circuit of the machine;

FIGURE 5 is a side elevation, partly in cross-section, showing the relative positions of the elevator means and the tray or receptacle in the raised and down positions of the former and the electrical switch activated by the elevator means;

FIGURE 6 is an end elevation in fragment of the elevator mechanism;

FIGURES 7 and 8 are, respectively, a top plan view and a section view on section plane 8-8 of FIGURE 7 of an elbow and petcock used in association with the tray.

Referring to the drawings, the machine is illustrated without the cabinet or housing. The main frame components of the machine comprise a lower plate 10 and the I 1;; x i t o. e tical, si extends between the side plates at the upper, front portion of the machine. An upper, narrower shelf plate 14 extends. similarly in closely spaced relationship with the first-mentioned shelf plate. The copy sheet, upon which theirnag e is to be -'reproduce d, isfed by hand between theshelf'plates 13Iand 14, while the original sheet is simultane'ouslyfed by hand across the upper surface of the upper shelf plate 14. Thesesheets are picked up substantially simultaneously by the conveyor me-chanism of the machine which conveys the sheets through the machine.

The drive of the sheet conveying means comprises an electric motor 20. The electric motor is connected by a gear reducer and drive shaft to the drive sprocket a of chain 21. 1-l1e chain extends over the sprockets 22 rotat ably mounted on the side wall 11. Each sprocket drives a drive roller, hereinafter described in reference to FIGURE 3 ofrespective paper-conveying jdr ive rollers. 1 Theoriginal sheet, containing the copy to be duplicated is-placed in superposed relationship on the copy sheet, and they are fed by hand' as aforesaid. In the initial travel through the machine, the original sheet and the, copy sheet take separate paths. Theoriginal sheet is guided into the paper guide passage 23. When the original sheet reaches the nip of rollers 24 and 25, the sheet is carried forward through the machine without further urging by hand.

Substantially simultaneously with the pickup of the leadingedge of the original sheet by rollers 24 and 25, the leading edge of the copy sheet is guided through paper guide passage 26 into the nip of drive roller 28 and idle-r roller 27. The copy sheet is conveyed by rollers 27 and 28 through an electrostatic charging chamber 30. While the details of this chamber are not of critical essence to the invention herein, briefly, the electrostatic charging chamber 30 comprises one or more upper wires 31 and one or more lower wires 32 extending longitudinally in the chamber 30. The copy sheet enters mouth 33 of the chamber 30 and is subjected, as it passes through the chamber, to corona discharge by the wires 31 and 32. The corona discharge is achieved by applying a high voltage potential between the respective sheets of wires, i.e. voltage in the order. of 12 to 14 thousand (or more) volts.

The electrostatically charged copy sheet exits through passage 35 of the-chamber 30 and is guided by lower guide extension 36 to the contiguous light exposure section of the machine.

At the same time the original sheet has bypassed the electrostatic charging section 30 by passage from the nip of the rollers 24 and 25 through paper guide passage 39 for-med by upper and lower guide plates 40 and 41, which are positioned above the electrostatic charging chamber 30. The copy sheet passes beneath filaments 43 of a separator frame 42 while the original sheet passes on the overside of the filaments.

The filaments 43 extend between a glass roller and drive roller 51. The filaments are spaced at distances in the order of one to two inches .and are sufficiently thin plates11iand12. A lower shelftplate 13 7 and. 51.. withpthelexception. of the .separationihereof. t spaced intervals by the filaments 43. The two sheets are exposed to light from the lamp 52. Light which passes through the upper, original sheet in areas not covered by indicia or image thereonca-uses. the electrostatic charge on the copy sheet tobe dissipated;:I-Ienceg-after:leaving the light exposure section of the ma'chine the Jelectrostatically charged-portions. remaining on the sheet corrspond to the indiciaor image'on the originalsheet;- After leaving the nip of the rollers50 find-51;, thebriginal sheet is guided upwardly'bythe filaments'43 and separates from the copy 'sheetjThe o'r igin'al'sheet is guided by the curved guide plates 59 and 60 in theupwardly curving channel 61, fromwhence it isgdischarged from the machine. f 1 'f The 'c'opysheet, on the other hand, passes over the roller 62 and turned downwardly byl the curved guideplate 63 into the nipof drive roller 64 andidler roller 6,5.The' rollers 64 and 65 convey the copy sheet downwardly into an open top tray 66. The tray 66 comprises side walls-'67, and a curved and sloping bottom wall 68 with t'rans-. verse ribs 69 provided thereon. The copy sheet. slides over ribs 69 as it passes through thetrayj I v 1. The section 70 of the tray is the deepest section and has a coupling 71. The liquid employed in this instance is a liquid called a liquid toner. It comprises a suspension of carbon particles in kerosene or other suitable liquid; The suspended carbon particles are attracted to the electrostatically charged portions of the copy sheet. and thus pro vide reproduction of the image by thei attraction to and engagement in the paper fibers in only those portions of the copy sheet which have the electrostatic charge.

After the copy sheet passes through the bath, it is picked up in the nip of. rollers 72 and 73-, one of which is driven. Rollers 72 and 73 function both..as copy sheet-conveying rollers and as squeeze rollers forsqueezing out liquid from the wetted copy sheet. 7,

The copy sheet leaving the nip of rollers72 and 73 is, guided .into guide passage74 provided by the lower guide plate 75 and upper guide plate 76. The copy sheet exits from passage imrnediatelybelow the shelf 13, a I

The tray may be filled to a non-overflowing level or emptied by providing a reservoir package or cartridge containing said liquid on an elevator 81. The elevator comprises an open-frame platform 82 having upwardly extend ing tabs 83 adapted to hold the cartridge 80 against slipping off the platform. v

The platform has side members 84 on opposite sides thereof and dependent ears or tabs 85 therebelow. The respective side members 84 and tabs 85 are connected by pivot pins 86 and 86 m one end of a pair ofparallel, upper and lower pivot arms 87 and 88 forming a parallelogram linkage on each side of the platform. The opposo that they do not interfere with the image reproduction on the copy sheet. 7

An elongated lamp tube 52, e.g., a fluorescent lamp tube, is provided inside the glass rolle'r50. The tube has its tubular surface masked with masking 53 except for a lower, elongated slit 54. An arcuate shutter 55 is rotatably mounted about the lamp 52, which has an elongated slit for passage of light therethrough and can be rotated to fully uncover or partly cover the light slit 54 in the mask: ing 53 to control the amount of light directed from larnp 52 against the sheets passing through the nip of rollers 50 and 51. The shutter 55 is coupled by gears (not shown) to a shutter .control knob 56, the rotation of which causes the arcuate shutter 55 to rotate relative to lamp 52. Thrust rollers 57 and 58 ride against the upper sides of glass roller 50.

2 supported thereon The original sheet and the electrostatically charged copy sheet are in face to face contact in the nip of rollers 50 site ends of the arms 87 and 88 are respectively pivotally mountedbypivot pins 89' and 89 to the respective side plates 11 and 12. 1 a

,One of the side members 84has an arm-90 projecting a sufiicient distance so that it will extend through a vertical slot in the cabinet of the machine. If desired a knob. or finger grip 91 may be mounted on theend of the arm. This arm provides a member for-manually raising and lowering the elevator 81 and. the package or cartridge .80

The platform. and linkages are retained in a raised or elevated position by the use of over-centerbias members; e.g., the coil springsr92 connected at one endto the pins 93 extending inwardly from the mid segments of the lower arms and at the other end to pins 94 fixedly mounted on the side plates 11 and-12.= Thelpinsare oriented so that the tension force exerted by the respective springs is ina line'above the respective pivot-pins 895 and 89 ,of lower arms, 88, whereby the =springs, exert a to rqueforce'sufiia cient .to hold theplatform and the cartridge thereon in the elevated position. I s 12; A1,;

The platform is :lowered by pressing downwardly on" the arm 90 with sufiicient force to overcome the torque force of the spring. As the parallelogram linkages swing downwardly, the springs 92 also pivot therewith. In the lower position of the platform, the line of tension force of the springs is oriented relative to the respective pivot pins 89' and 89 so that it extends substantially through or below said pins, whereby the springs impart essentially no, or very light, torque force urging the arms of the parallelogram linkages upwardly. The respective parallelogram linkages on each side of the elevator platform are tied together by the rod 98, into the ends of which pivot pins 86' and 86 are threaded, to rigidify the linkage-platform combination against twisting and binding.

It is preferred that the line of tension forces exerted by the spring in the latter position be substantially through the pins 89 and 89, rather than considerably below said pins, to avoid a torque force which would cause the mechanism to bottom hard against the machine frame.

One of the upper arms 87 carries a pin 95 extending laterally therefrom. This pin is adapted to be brought into contact with the movable actuator arm 96 of an electric switch 97. This electric switch is connected in the circuit of the motor 20. Upon raising of the platform and the cartridge thereon, the switch 97 is closed and the motor 20 is energized. As the platform and cartridge are raised, liquid in the cartridge 80 flows by gravity through the flexible tube 100 into the coupling 71 provided on the lower, front portion of the tray. This coupling (FIGS. 7 and 8) has a flexible tube-receiving end 101 comprising the tapered passage 102 with a ring groove 103 therein. The ring groove accommodates a seal ring 104, whereby pushing of the end of the flexible tube 100 into the tapered passage forms a liquid-tight seal between the tube and the coupling. The opposite end 105 of the coupling 71 is screw threaded into a tapped opening in the lower port of the tray 66. The coupling may be provided with a petcock 106 which normally remains open.

The parallelogram linkage maintains the platform 82 in essentially constant orientation relative to the horizontal plane when the platform 82 is raised or lowered. It may be substantially horizontal or may be tilted slightly toward the tray 66, the latter to better facilitate more complete emptying of package 80 when the platform and package are elevated.

The switch-actuating pin 95 may project through a slot 110 (FIGS. 1 and 5) in side plate 12 when switch 97 is mounted on the outer side thereof. A simple schematic circuit for the machine is shown in FIG. 4. The switch 97 may be connected in the circuit to energize or deenergize all electrical components, i.e., the motor 20, the ballast unit 112 of the lamp 52, the blower 111, and the electrostatic discharge unit 30. If desired, a paper actuated switch or switches (not shown) may be provided in the circuit of the unit 30 whereby this high voltage unit is energized only when paper is moving into and through the unit.

Changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of parts from those disclosed herein without in any way departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of the attendant advantages thereof, provided, however, that such changes fall within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. A photocopy machine comprising means for conveying an original sheet and a copy sheet through said machine, means for reproducing the image of said original sheet on said copy sheet, said last-mentioned means including a tray adapted to hold a liquid used in reproducing said image on said copy sheet as the latter is conveyed through said liquid, electrically-energized drive means operatively associated with said first-mentioned means, a liquid reservoir package, tube means connecting the bottom of said tray and said package, elevator means supporting said package contiguous to one side of said tray for raising and lowering said package between a raised position in which the liquid contents of said package flow into said tray and a lowered position in which the liquid contents of said tray flow back into said package, said electrically-energized drive means including a switch in the electrical circuit thereof, and means on said elevator means activating said switch to energize said drive means when said elevator means is elevated to raised position and deactivating said switch to de-energize said drive means when said elevator means is lowered from said raised position.

2. A photocopy machine as claimed in claim 1, said elevator means comprising a platform, pivot arm means pivotally connected near respective ends thereof to said platform, fulcrum means spaced from said ends providing horizontal pivot axes for said arm means, a movable switch-activating member on said switch, and a contact member on said pivot arm means positioned to engage said switch-activating member when said pivot arm means pivots upwardly to said raised position and to disengage from said member when said pivot arm means pivots downwardly toward said lowered position.

3. A photocopy machine as claimed in claim 2, said pivot arm means comprising respective pairs of upper and lower, essentially parallel pivot arms on respective opposite sides of said platform providing respective parallelogram linkages, and over-center bias means operatively connected to at least one of said pivot arms for resiliently biasing said parallelogram linkage in raised position.

4. A photocopy machine comprising means for reproducing an image from an original sheet on a copy sheet, said means including a tray adapted to hold a liquid used in reproducing said image, a liquid reservoir package, tube means connecting the bottom of said tray and said package, a platform supporting said package, respective pairs of upper and lower, essentially parallel pivot arms on respective opposite sides of said platform providing respective parallelogram linkages, pivot means pivotally connecting respective ends of said arms to said platform, fulcrum means spaced from said ends providing horizontal pivot axes for respective upper and lower pivot arms and pivotally supporting said platform on said arms contiguous to one side of said tray and over-center bias means operatively connected to at least one of said pivot arms for resiliently biasing said parallelogram linkage in raised position.

5. A photocopy machine as claimed in claim 4, wherein said over-center bias means comprises a coil spring attached at one end to a pivot arm and at the opposite end to the frame of the machine, said coil spring having its longitudinal axis above said fulcrum means for said last mentioned pivot arm when said platform is in elevated position and having its longitudinal axis extending substantially through said last mentioned fulcrum means when said platform is in lowered position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,768,566 10/1956 Powell -89 3,147,686 9/ 1964 Limberger 9589 3,203,335 8/1965 Wanielista et al. 9589 NORTON ANSHER, Primary Examiner.

C. E. SMITH, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A PHOTOCOPY MACHINE COMPRISING MEANS FOR CONVEYING AN ORIGINAL SHEET AND A COPY SHEET THROUGH SAID MACHINE, MEANS FOR REPRODUCING THE IMAGE OF SAID ORIGINAL SHEET ON SAID COPY SHEET, SAID LAST-MENTIONED MEANS INCLUDING A TRAY ADAPTED TO HOLD A LIQUID USED IN REPRODUCING SAID IMAGE ON SAID COPY SHEET AS THE LATTER IS CONVEYED THROUGH SAID LIQUID, ELECTRICALLY-ENERGIZED DRIVE MEANS OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID FIRST-MENTIONED MEANS, A LIQUID RESERVOIR PACKAGE, TUBE MEANS CONNECTING THE BOTTOM OF SAID TRAY AND SAID PACKAGE, ELEVATOR MEANS SUPPORTING SAID PACKAGE CONTIGUOUS TO ONE SIDE OF SAID TRAY FOR RAISING AND LOWERING SAID PACKAGE BETWEEN A RAISED POSITION IN WHICH THE LIQUID CONTENTS OF SAID PACKAGE FLOW INTO SAID TRAY AND A LOWERED POSITION IN WHICH THE LIQUID CONTENTS OF SAID TRAY FLOW BACK INTO SAID PACKAGE, SAID ELECTRICALLY-ENERGIZED DRIVE MEANS INCLUDING A SWITCH IN THE ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT THEREOF, AND MEANS ON SAID ELEVATOR MEANS ACTIVATING SAID SWITCH TO ENERGIZE SAID DRIVE MEANS WHEN SAID ELEVATOR MEANS IS ELEVATED TO RAISED POSITION AND DEACTIVATING SAID SWITCH TO DE-ENERGIZE SAID DRIVE MEANS WHEN SAID ELEVATOR MEANS IS LOWERED FROM SAID RAISED POSITION. 